Health

Fall is a time when millions of people around the country begin to make their travel plans. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the busiest travel times of the year are just around the corner, which include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. There are some great reasons why packing light will help make your trip easier and more enjoyable. And the good news is that it’s not difficult to do, either.

“If you want to pack right when you travel then you really need to focus on packing light,” explains Tina Aldatz, chief executive officer of Savvy Travelers. “There’s much less hassle and stress when you pack light and stick to the basics. You can put your focus on your travel, rather than having all of your attention go to dragging around way too much luggage.”

Here are some Savvy Travelers tips for packing light and right for fall and holiday air travel:

For Veteran’s Day, LearningRx of DC Metro Area is offering 11 percent off of their brain training programs for military families Nov. 11 through Nov. 30, located at six, local centers, Chantilly, Va., Fairfax, Va., Leesburg, Va., Reston, Va., Vienna, Va. and North Potomac, Md. For each military child they train, LearningRx will also donate $111 to SemperMax, a program to enhance the morale and welfare of wounded veterans and their families. LearningRx programs have been helping traumatic-brain-injured military veterans, like U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Horan (Ret.) of McLean, Va., recover their speech and memory skills, and LearningRx is now extending brain training to military families that are looking to make learning easier or for those who struggle with learning disabilities, ADHD or autism. For more information, go to www.learningrx.com.

Submitted by Leigh Macdonald, News Where You Live Ambassador, NoVA, D.C., Maryland

Thursday, June 20th, 2013, 9:22am

The Tigerlily Foundation is pleased to announce the 2nd AnnualPink Boa 5k Run/Walk, on September 15, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. at Fairfax Corner. The race will start at the Fairfax Corner Pavilion, 11945 Grand Commons Avenue, Fairfax, Virginia. Registration is open, and participants can sign up as individuals or create teams.

For any parent, it can be an alarming discovery to learn that your child is displaying bullying traits. Bullying is defined as repeated, aggressive behavior that can be physical, verbal, or relational, and approximately one in 10 children have bullied others. No one wants to hear that their child is bullying, however, there are identifying signals to be aware of and ways to help the child who is bullying.

"Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in preventing bullying “explains Peter J. Goodman, author of the new children’s book series, "We're All Different But We're All Kitty Cats.” The books are designed for elementary-aged-children, to tackle common issues that they may encounter such as bullying, childhood fears, confidence, being different and making friends.

Chances are, most people reading this know a child who has stayed home from school this week simply because they were afraid of being bullied – but they may not realize it. It is estimated that an average of 160,000 students each day around the country stay home out of fear of being bullied. Yet many adults, for a variety of reasons, have no idea that the bullying is taking place.

“Children may avoid speaking up about being bullied, which really just helps to perpetuate it,” explains Peter J. Goodman, author of the book “We’re All Different But We’re All Kitty Cats.” “It is important for teachers and parents to know that bullying is taking place so that they can try to address it, but sometimes it is difficult for them to find out that it is happening in the first place.”

Each Christmas, there are children around America who unwrap a new, non-powder gun. These guns include BB, pellet, and paintball. While many parents may believe such guns to be harmless, and even see them as a toy, statistics suggest otherwise. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 20,000 injuries result from these types of guns each year, with four percent of them requiring hospitalization.

“These guns are not toys at all, and they can certainly do damage both to people and to animals,” explains Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, an organization dedicated to helping animals in need. “In our line of work, we have seen it often – kids who shoot at animals just for fun, and leave them distressed and injured. These guns create problems that parents are not even usually aware of.”

Here are 5 tips for parents who may have a child with one of these non-powder guns, or who are considering getting one for them:

Allie and Patient Ambassador Sophie Make the Ornaments, Collaborate on Design of Dr. Seuss Tree

Since 2006, the Georgetown Jingle has raised more than 1.5 million for the pediatric oncology programs directed by Dr. Aziz Shad at Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hosted at the Four Seasons, this year's Jingle includes 17 trees and vignettes that were unveiled on November 28th and designed by the area's top designers. Additional events include the December 16th family fundraiser from 1-4 p.m. followed by Jingle the Night Away with Pamala Live! from 7-11 p.m.